Passion undiminished for veteran Del Piero

Alessandro Del Piero's may have won nearly all there is to win in football but after 16 years with Juventus the Bianconeri captain is still hungry for more.

New objectives
The 34-year-old Del Piero has five Italian titles to his name, was part of the Juve side that conquered Europe in 1996 and celebrated FIFA World Cup glory with Italy in 2006. He could have retired by now having enjoyed more success than most players dream of, but there is no question of resting on his laurels. When La Vecchia Signora were demoted to Serie B soon after Italy's triumph in Germany, Del Piero insisted on staying to help take the Turin side back into Europe. He was not alone. Gianluigi Buffon, Mauro Camoranesi, Pavel Nedvěd and David Trezeguet also signed up for the cause. "We had to change our objectives, which meant instead of fighting for the Scudetto we had to fight for promotion to Serie A," Del Piero told uefa.com. "It was something totally new and different for us, but we played with such great passion that season that it was still really exciting."

Goal rush
The Bianconeri captain was Juve's top scorer in Serie B and thanks to his 20 goals they were promoted at the first attempt. He repeated the feat last season, this time in Serie A, where no one bettered the 21 strikes that helped earned Juve a place in the UEFA Champions League – something a promoted side in Italy had never achieved. "Being back in the Champions League means a lot to me, because it was a competition I always used to play in," Del Piero said. "I was basically involved every year, winning it once and losing three finals. It's a competition I feel close to and it's the biggest in European football."

Common goals
Del Piero marked Juve's return to the UEFA Champions League with a stunning winner against FC Zenit St. Petersburg and he is now within two strikes of another milestone – his 50th goal for the club in European competition. "I'm very happy to have spent so much time here, sharing dreams and victories and all the battles, and of course some defeats. But our common goals have been fantastic, because I have always worked with people with the same spirit and willingness to win."

'Real enthusiasm'
Del Piero's goal against Zenit was his 243rd for Juventus in all competitions. He is the most prolific marksman in the Bianconeri history, but says he has never stopped learning. "My team-mates and I, whether they are famous or not, all of us who have trodden this path have shown real enthusiasm for the game. We have learned a lot. I will stay at Juventus for the next two years at least and I am really happy to spend all this time with this club." His contract may expire in 2012, but the imprint he has left on Juve and in the fans' hearts will never fade.